After Florida, the decision to allow off-duty police and sheriffs to moonlight on school property and elsewhere was a rare, common-sense move. Prior to that, of course, there were the requisite calls for gun control, and the sycophantic dean at NMSU who rolled over to show poor David Hogg our collective privates, shamelessly showering him with admittance and scholarship guarantees.

After all the demagoguery dies down, what if something changed? Some will object to this concept simply because anything shy of gun confiscation is to be rejected. Others will say that many ideas make our schools fortresses. That concern is valid, it is sad, and in a perfect world those measures would not be necessary, but in reality, we have to make schools hard targets. Ideas like these should be just the beginning. Many ideas should be tried and vetted because sometimes flaws can’t be seen from their inception.

Frankly, the best start is to have a mother and father, both, in the home. But surely that is an antiquated, and somehow bigoted notion. So, these are examples of the best we can do in an “evolved”, postmodern world.

Each school should lock exterior doors from entrance. Retrofit the doors with crash bars for emergency exits but no entry. It’s called controlled access. It’s too expensive to monitor every entrance, so direct flow to a few windowless, electronically sealed, secured entrances and give every student and staff member key cards to enter. Children today are fluent in technology. Those too young to understand are too young to be going to school anyway. Maybe pre-K should stay home or let parents walk them in and pick them up.

Yes - arm and compensate any school staff who wish to be armed and who can pass both close range skills and background tests similar to what would be used for applicants to the police or military. Make both extremely discriminating. Side note - Background checks have to start being worth something.

Hire and arm as many veterans as possible. Custodians, grounds keepers, teachers, security, in every capacity they are qualified for. Screen them, train them, hire them and thank them.

A new Neighborhood Watch concept should be floated. Retired cops, veterans, grandmas and grandpas with time on their hands. LCPS could try organizing a schedule and give community folks an opportunity to voluntarily stand vigil. Screen them, train them, post them and thank them. Realistically, there won’t be many volunteers, even for a couple of hours per week, but investigate the legality of this and consider something new.

Police presence should be increased however possible. One idea that has taken root in other parts of the country is to place precincts on school grounds. This is a progressive idea. Work toward that.

Policing and watchers should take place at the edges of the properties. That’s where the perimeter and first line should be. Inside the school is already too late.

True, some ideas are doomed due to apathy, logistics or other. There is no one panacea, but there are some creative actions worth trying. It must be a comprehensive approach that is not solely focused on taking arms away from harmless citizens.

Administrator’s default argument against ideas they don’t like is always “lack of money.” Yet, somehow, there is always money for offensive indoctrination programs like trans-gender restrooms, Department of Equity, Innovation and Social Justice, restorative practices, International Welcome Centers and Multi-Cultural Education. If necessary, cut sports, arts, sex-ed. The school system should dedicate itself to securing children before everything else, including educating them. Follow the money to find their priorities.